There is no parallel in 2 Chr 35 to this verse. The author probably includes this statement to help explain why good King Josiah suffered defeat in battle—not because of his own sins, but because God was punishing his people, who had sinned.

The events of his reign have been recorded in the past probably refers to the books of 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles. We suggest placing this clause at the end of the verse (see the models below). Good News Bible and Contemporary English Version, however, keep it in its present place. We may say “During his reign [or, While he was king], people wrote about these events” or “All these things about his reign have been written down [or, recorded] in the history books.”

Concerning those who sinned and acted wickedly toward the Lord beyond any other people or kingdom may be expressed as “his people sinned and rebelled against the Lord more wickedly than any other people or kingdom.”

And how they grieved the Lord deeply, so that the words of the Lord rose up against Israel: It will be good to begin a new sentence here, for example, “They did things that offended the Lord so much that his judgment fell on the people of Israel [or, that he punished Israel severely].” Good News Bible provides a good model for this verse, but we offer the following alternatives:

• During his reign [or, While he was king], however, his people sinned, and rebelled against the Lord more wickedly than any other people or kingdom. They offended the Lord so much that his judgment [or, punishment] fell on the people of Israel. All these things are in the history books.

• However, while Josiah was king [or, ruled over Israel], his people sinned, and rebelled against the Lord more wickedly that any other people or kingdom. They made the Lord so angry with them that he punished the people of Israel severely. People recorded all of these things in the history books.

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on 1-2 Esdras. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2019. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.